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The house that Zac built

Alison Murray - Author

Zac is busy with his building blocks when a kitten causes a commotion among the farm animals. He has to put things right, in a farmyard retelling of a traditional rhyme.

More about this book

Zac is so busy playing with his toy building blocks that he doesn't notice a cute little kitten is causing animal chaos around the farm ... Who would think that such a tiny cat could cause such pandemonium! It's up to Zac to put things right again. This adorable reworking of a much-loved traditional rhyme is told with wit and warmth by internationally acclaimed artist, Alison Murray. The farmyard setting, with lambs, chickens, cows and a faithful pet dog is perfect for preschoolers. The story is made all the more loveable with Alison Murray's stylish nostalgic illustrations.

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Book Analysis

At a Glance

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Traditional rhyme· ExplainedVerse· Explained

Personalised Fit

Beyond the Cover

traditional rhymeverse

FictionPicture book

Themes in Context

Rhyme and retelling

The story reworks a traditional rhyme and is told in verse, following Zac and a kitten’s disruptive farmyard antics.Exploratory / explanatory

How the book presents it: The rhyme gives the farmyard story a playful, patterned form.

Talk about: Does the rhyme help your child keep track of how the kitten’s antics unfold?

Why It May Be Worth Reading

The rhyming structure offers a playful way to follow how one small animal’s antics affect a farm community, while the illustrations give the story a visual farmyard setting.

What Deserves Attention

The kitten’s antics cause animal chaos around the farm.

A Conversation Worth Having

What do you think Zac might do when he realises the kitten has caused a commotion, and how could the farm animals be helped?

Reading Approach

Read the rhyme aloud and pause to look at the farm animals in the illustrations. Invite your child to notice how the kitten’s antics affect the farm, then let them predict what Zac might do.

Confidence & Basis

Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.

What remains unconfirmed

Rhyme and retelling: The wording, pattern and full sequence of the verse are not described.

The House that Zac Built - Alison Murray - Google Books

Limited information

Checked: 1 October 2026.

Relevant to: Rhyme and retelling

The house that Zac built by Alison Murray | Open Library